NBA will begin selling jersey sponsorships in 2017-18
Sports
NBA will begin selling jersey sponsorships in 2017-18
Teams will be able to sell advertising space on their jerseys starting in 2017-18, making the NBA the first major North American sport to put partners' logos on players' uniforms. The three-year trial was approved Friday by NBA owners and will take effect when the league's contract with Nike begins. The patches will appear on the front left of the jersey, opposite Nike's logo, and will measure about 2.5 by 2.5 inches.
Jersey sponsorships provide deeper engagement with partners looking to build a unique association with our teams, and the additional investment will help grow the game in exciting new ways.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver
Silver had said this step would be inevitable as an additional revenue generator. WNBA teams already have logos, and NBA clubs have been wearing them on practice jerseys. Logos appear on international soccer jerseys, and many athletes in individual sports wear sponsor-branded attire in competition. The sponsor patch will not appear in retail versions of the jerseys, but teams can sell jerseys with sponsor patches in their own stores.
